Aemus Balsis

Services in 1986. I worked for the county until 1991 when after completing my Masters degree from U.W. Stout I was hired by the Medford School District as a Guidance Counselor. I worked in this position for 12 years. I left this position for the Dean of Student’s position at the Middle School. My next opportunity in the Medford School District was becoming the principal of Stetsonville Elementary where I worked until I retired. While working for the school I ran a martial arts studio part time, I was also a part time law enforcement officer and a Crisis Worker after hours for the county. I currently operate a safety business as well as teach concealed carry courses, I am a member of the Medford Morning Rotary and past president of that group. Additionally I am a current board member for the Taylor County Electric Cooperative. I am running for school board because I feel I have something to offer the school and community. I understand the inner workings of the school and my extensive community involvement has also given me an understanding of the community’s values, I think bringing both of these prospectives into this position will be an asset for the district and community.

What do you think the biggest challenge facing the Medford Area Public School District over the course of the next 5 years will be? As a school board member how would you address them?

I think the biggest challenges facing this district will be similar to other schools, namely hiring and retaining quality staff, meeting government regulations that come without funding, and supporting our special need students as that population grows. I would address these issues working collaboratively with administration and gathering community input.

Do you support the $39.9 million referendum to renovate and expand the high school and why do you feel this way?

It was clear at the last referendum that the community was almost evenly split on this issue, therefore I’m not going to take a position on something that will already be decided before I’d take office if elected. I will go on the record with this, I am a fiscal conservative. I am not against spending money when and where it is necessary but we must always balance wants vs needs and the economic situation at the time, each spending decision should reflect the community’s wishes and be based on sound financial practices.

What can the school district do within budgetary limitations to attract and retain quality educators and staff?

The school is just one factor in recruiting and retaining staff, this is a community issue. We need to continue working collaboratively with the community regarding this issue, working with the Chamber and civic groups. We thrive or die together. Having assets in town such as good jobs, a great medical facility, numerous financial institutions along with being a safe community thanks to the efforts of our Sheriffs Department and City Police, are great reasons to live in this district but competition is fierce and we must continue to grow our community and our relationships with the aforementioned groups to move us forward. As for the district alone, they need to be competitive with salary and benefits or you will not get the best applicants. The district also needs to perform at high levels displayed by student achievement, everyone likes working with a winning team and finally we need to have strong and visionary leadership.

The future is unknown but the principles of success remain the same. Integrity, a moral compass, hard work, financial responsibility and vision.

How do you feel the school district can be more responsive to the needs of the community in regard to setting the school calendar?

The school calendar used to be an agreement/negotiation between the teachers and the Board, since Act. 10 however it is really the Board who determines it with input from staff.

There is no calendar that will please everyone but I don’t see why several choices couldn’t be proposed and have the community vote on the option they like via an electronic ballet. The school should be in frequent communication with the community.

I am a detective with the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office and have been an active member and part of the Medford Community for over 17 years. I started my career as a Deputy in 2003 and promoted to Detective in 2008. I have been with my wife Emily for 12 years; we have a set of 6-year-old twins currently in Kindergarten at MAES with another set of twins on the way in September.

I grew up on a dairy farm in Kennan, a town in southern Price County. I come from a large family consisting of seven siblings. I attended Phillips High School graduating in 1998. After graduation, I attended the Universities of Wisconsin – Stevens Point and Oshkosh graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice.

I am extremely family and community oriented. I am an avid outdoorsman and enjoy spending much of my time with family and friends hunting, fishing, camping, and working outdoors. I hold my conservative small town and family values very close to my heart. As part of my career in law enforcement, I have focused my time on and have been a strong advocate of community programs, coalitions, and education largely involving children. I spend time educating the community, schools, and other community groups about drug education and prevention. I am very involved in programs involving the welfare of children, substance abuse, internet crimes against children, sexual and physical abuse of children, and child neglect.

Why do you want to serve on the school board?

I fully support and have a strong

genuine commitment to public education for all children. As a member of the school board, I would support the values, beliefs, and priorities of the students, staff, parents, and every other member of our community. I believe board members serve in roles of extreme trust which is something I live by every day as a member of the Sheriff’s Office. I lead by example and hold my integrity to the highest level when it comes to supporting the community’s visions and goals.

I want to bring practical solutions, ideas, and honest answers to all constituents within the community who are involved and uninvolved in the school district. I want to focus on the values of public education and represent all citizens of the district. I strive to be part of what the community desires regarding enrichment programs, student growth, extracurriculars, and academic improvement. I want to focus on being competitive with surrounding communities regarding opportunities offered to our children and school staff.

I fully understand that not everyone has the same ideas, opinions, and beliefs including members of the school board, school staff, and community but I feel everyone wants to be heard and respected, something I assure you would happen if I were to be elected to the board. I believe through teamwork great challenges can be overcome with positive results involving community members, businesses, school district staff, and students. I am a person who takes a thoughtful, sincere, and deliberate approach to problems and focus on teamwork to solve these issues. I believe we should all be working together to reach goals, no one should be working alone, and we should all be coming together to make tough decisions making our community thrive. I believe it is important to express my opinions, beliefs, and values but at the same time, respect the different views and ideas of others.

What do you think is the biggest challenge facing the Medford Area School District over the course of the next 5 years will be? As a board member how would you address them?

I am not sure of just one challenge because there are many, but some of these challenges facing the school district are going to force tough decisions to be made regarding uncertain school district financial resources, retaining qualified and exemplary teaching staff, and creating a school system fully accommodating to staff, students, and community members. We need to provide space for learning, work, community events, school sports, and other extracurriculars. Being a concerned community member and a candidate for the board, I recognize and know policies must be setup to plan and adapt for the future of our district.

A good way to answer many of these concerns right now as a community member is voting yes to the upcoming Medford School District referendum allowing financial resources to be available for construction of a new gymnasium, improve safety & security, updating critical infrastructure & technology, expansion / construction of classrooms, and relocating and rebuilding the theatre.

As stated earlier, I have a vested interest in public education and a positive environment for “all” students. I want to see students as a whole take advantage of advanced education programs, special needs programs, extracurricular activities, etc. In today’s world, we should be focusing on our youth creating programs that foster an up to date, safe, and secure environment. We need to keep our youth